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Original poster

What kind of juice drink do you give your LO's

82 replies

curlygirl · 14/08/2006 23:04

I used to buy the organic diluted baby juices for my dd, she only likes the blackcurrant ones. Recently she started drinking much bigger beakers of juice with her meals (she has water between meals), and it was becoming really expensive. I tried her with diluted orange juice but she doesn't like it. I have searched for a juice or a squash that she can have but they all have added sugar or sweetners and goodness knows what else.I found an innocent looking organic squash that looked really healthy only to discover that sugar was the second highest ingredient. I have been giving her ribena with no added sugar as it stated that it was high in vit c and has few nasties in it, but my dh read on the label that it shouldn't be given to toddlers under 36 months old, dd is 21 months. Can anyone help?

OP posts:
SittingBull · 14/08/2006 23:06

This reply has been deleted

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jamiesam · 14/08/2006 23:10

I should keep on trying with really weak fruit juices (1 part juice to 10 parts water) - there are loads of others to try! By the way, will she drink water alone? I got into the habit of giving ds1 neat fruit juice (cartons) when we were out and about and it's one of the reasons he has dodgy molars at age nearly 5

Unfortunately, I think that sweeteners are slightly worse than sugar - isn't aspartame banned in US? That's in most sugar free squashes.

dewmeadow · 14/08/2006 23:34

mine drink water and milk. I dont like juice/fizzy drinks so I never think to buy them.

Original poster
curlygirl · 14/08/2006 23:35

I can't find a jice that she will drink, as she only likes blackcurrant, she doesn't like orange juice. I found an ocean spray blackcurrant juice which had added sugar so I didn't buy it. I tried her with a red grape juice and diluted it down but she wouldn't drink it. She does drink lots of plain water during the day, and will only drink milk on cereal and at bedtime. I like her to have some juice with her meal as she doesn't eat any citrus fruits. She eats apples, bananas, and raisins only. I have a v. fussy dd!

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Piffle · 14/08/2006 23:38

no juices until dd was 2.5 then we watered down all fruit smoothies for her as thats what we drunk
sugar is not the worst offended
no added suagr means aspartame and artificial sweeteners and that are BAD for you esp little ones
I think that high juices offer a good compromise btw.
Also pure juice cartons, the cheap ones from supermarkets - apple is popular with little ones, dilute that and it lasts a while.

Original poster
curlygirl · 14/08/2006 23:49

Thanks piffle. I looked at high juices in sainsbury's and they all contained loads of sugar. I think I will need to persevere with orange juice.

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kitschnanny · 15/08/2006 00:06

try diluted apple juice instead, it always seems to go down a lot better!

threebob · 15/08/2006 00:45

Fruit contains sugar you know - so if you are doing it to replace something she is not having (in this case citrus) you need to weigh up the cost and sugar content against an orange or whatever.

Personally I'd just give her water. You dislike giving her sugar, sweeteners and additives - so water would be perfect for you.

heiferjamese · 15/08/2006 09:08

My DD only had water and milk until 2, then I allowed her to have watered down fruit juice. She went through a stage of refusing water so I only let her have the orange juice at meal time, so back to water during the day.

When we go out, everyone offers her squash which I now let her have (only when out though).

I did think of buying some squash for her this week but as I didn't know the best type to buy decided against it....

So back to milk, water and fruit juice here......

Original poster
curlygirl · 15/08/2006 09:24

Threebob- I wish she would eat an orange, but unfortunately it's apples, bananas and raisins or nothing. I have even tried giving her smoothies with mango and peaches. She doesn't like grapes either, which really puzzles me as they are so sweet. I thought about giving her apple juice, but she eats at least one apple a day as it is, I would prefer her to have something high in vit c.
I am just trying her with some diluted fresh orange juice again, but I am sure she will just leave it.
She does drink lots of water between meals to those who are suggesting that, but she will only drink milk on it's own at bedtime.
I think I will have to give her just water if she refuses the orange juice.
I only gave her the squash as we went to playgroup where the other mums seemed perfectly happy to give their very young toddlers squash and a biscuit, and I thought maybe I was being a bit precious about it. I don't want to give her too much sugar as teeth brushing is a bit of a battleground at the moment and it is hard to be certain that her molars have been thoroughly cleaned.

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KTeepee · 15/08/2006 09:34

Have you tried the smooth Tropicana orange juice? It is the sweetest one I have found (no added sugar). Many of the supermarkets also do mixed fruit juices (eg blackcurrant or raspberry mixed with apple juice). I think the Sainsburys and Waitroses ones don't have aded sugar. I also would go for high-juice squashs over no-added sugar ones. Rocks organic ones are also good. Tbh I personally don't get too het up over sugar (but don't like artifical sweetners) and wrt teeth brushing, I feel at the toddler stage it is more important to get them to use a toothbrush than worry too much about the technique. (I know lots of people will disagree in this though - wasn't there someone recently who held her child's head between her knees so she could brush their teeth properly?!)

Original poster
curlygirl · 15/08/2006 09:35

She turned her nose up at the diluted orange juice, and I have to say I tried some and it didn't taste very nice. I replaced it with milk, which, surprisingly she has drunk.

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Original poster
curlygirl · 15/08/2006 09:40

KTeepee - thanks for the advice, I will try one of those juices. I bought some of the rocks blackcurrant squash thinking it would be harmless, and dd loved it.Then noticed the sugar content on the back - it amused me that it stated organic sugar as if this makes it so much better!

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Lilymaid · 15/08/2006 09:43

Agree with Kitschnanny - gave mine diluted apple juice as orange always seemed too acidic for them. They are now teenagers and still drink it (but undiluted now) and their teeth are fine.

LemonTart · 15/08/2006 09:43

Love to know what cod thinks of this thread. Is there not one of you who allows their 2+ kiddies the very occasional weak glass of squash? There are aspartame, organic ones out there and of weak can cut down the sugar content reasonably well..
Anyone reading this would think mumsnetter bring their kids up on water and rice cakes alone (handmade of course
Not ranting just amused at the glittering row of polished halos out today

LemonTart · 15/08/2006 09:44

meant to say aspartame free!! Don?t load mine up on aspartame, honest

CaligulaCorday · 15/08/2006 09:47

I wouldn't worry too much about it, if she's happy to drink plain water and milk then you know she's getting enough liquid. And the vitamin C thing is being covered if she eats bananas raisins and apples plus whatever vegetables. I'd stick to the water and milk and concentrate on getting the vitamin C into her via other foods than juice.

CaligulaCorday · 15/08/2006 09:49

Lemontart - I do allow it when they're out and about or in other people's houses, but I just don't really see any reason to buy it myself. Without it in the house, the children get to drink it at least twice a week on average.

Original poster
curlygirl · 15/08/2006 09:49

I agree Lemontart. I worry about the sugar content because of her reluctance to have her teeth brushed. On the other hand I feel cruel when we go to visit friends and relatives and I they offer her a drink and I say she will have water, they look at me as if I am being horrible to her.

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schneebly · 15/08/2006 09:51

curlygirl - does your DD ike strawberries? If so I think they are pretty high in vit c.

SoupDragon · 15/08/2006 09:54

How about the Innocent blackcurrant and apple smoothies?

LemonTart · 15/08/2006 09:55

I am not knocking what the others are saying. They are spot on saying that milk and water etc are much healthier. But then, we all knew that anyway!
What I am saying is that in moderation, very occasionally it is ok. Reality is that the majority of mums out there have bottles of squash in their houses and your child will be offered squash on numerous occasions over the next decade. Sure, she doesn?t have to drink it, just like she can avoid chocolate until she is 18, never get to eat a Haribo and under no circumstances ever eat a Fab ice lolly..... (only homemade fruit juice ones allowed)
I used to buy Rocks Organic Blackcurrant squash and have recently switched to Tesco own high juice as our local stockist of the organic stopped and can only get it in town now. The High Juice has no aspartame, reasonable quantity of fruit juice and not as many nasties as other squashes. We dilute it a lot and they only drink it now and again. hth

Original poster
curlygirl · 15/08/2006 09:59

She didn't drink all of the milk, thought it was too good to be true! I have now given her some water and she won't drink that either! I think she thinks I am now trying to poison her .
No, she doesn't like strawberries and she won't drink innocent smoothies, I know this because I love them and I offer some to her everytime I have one. I think I have the fussiest toddler in the world. Her eating habits are the same, if it isn't pasta in tomato sauced with courgettes and peppers or boiled egg and soldiers, or a sandwich, she won't eat it!

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Original poster
curlygirl · 15/08/2006 10:05

Lemontart, I agree with what you are saying. I think that if we are too strict with sugar intake with children, they just rebel at a later date and have too much when they are older. Moderation and common sense is always the best policy, but on the other hand I don't want to be the mum with the kids with bad teeth. I really worry about it.

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jaamy · 15/08/2006 10:42

DD1 (2.6yr) won't drink juice - only water, though we've tried to get her to drink juice for the vit C. Suppose it's quite good from the rotting teeth point of view BUT she goes absolutely hyper if she eats anything sugary. DOn't know if that's because she's not used to getting sugar from drinks and so gets an even bigger sugar rush IYSWIM.